National Treasure Redux v1
by White N Nerdy
Summary: REPOST-sort of. It's the film “National Treasure” with a new twist. Ian has kidnapped Riley outside of Ben’s dad’s house...only to be thwarted by Ben in Philadelphia!
1. A Beginning To Many Ends

**National Treasure: Redux v1**

_Rated T for violence and language._

**Foreword**

_This is part one of my "National Treasure: You Pick the Adventure" aka "National Treasure: A Different Kind of Adventure" repost. The story was first posted throughout June of 2008 and deleted early in November. I'm reposting the storylines into separate stories, by request from the many people who read and enjoyed the original story during its brief four month run here on the site. Please read and review again, even if you did last time. Thank you :)_

I figure now is a good time to start, seeing as how this time last year I was just starting to write this. I thought for the repost I would rewrite some stuff, but no dice. I just haven't had time. I am editing each chapter again, so at least all the stupid errors I missed the first time around are gone. Hopefully.

But which storyline could "Redux v1" possibly be? Tee hee, I'm being a sneaky. Why? Because I can. You'll have to keep reading to find out! Well, not yet. This first chapter is the same for all of them. Try and guess which one this is going to be (keeping in mind that based on the poll I'm saving the best for last)!

Tell ya what: the more reviews I get, the quicker I will appease your curiosities :)

**Chapter I: A Beginning To Many Ends**

Riley threw open the back door to his old red van and tossed the roll of duct back in amongst the mess of wires and computer parts. Stupid duct tape, wasted on Ben's stupid dad. Riley really wished Ben would have agreed to use the tape on the mean Declaration lady. She practically stole the show with the whole invisible code on the back of the Declaration of Independence thing. She wasn't even supposed to be on their treasure hunt. But now, just cause she knew what a…a whatever cipher it was, Ben thought she was great.

Stupid Ben. Stupid Ben's dad. Stupid mean Declaration lady.

Riley grumbled angrily to himself as he reached into his van to get his laptop. Ben had said get the necessities, but Riley found it hard to part with any of his stuff. He'd practically lived out of his technologically pimped out ride since college when Ben invited him on his search for the Templar Treasure. Now he had to leave it here, tucked away in the dark corner of some parking lot a few blocks from Ben's dad's house just waiting for the feds to come pick it up. And Riley would never see it again.

On top of everything else, it was dark and cold outside, and Riley had left his jacket in the Gates' stuffy house. He was shivering, even with his hoodie still on. He absentmindedly glanced at his watch and groaned. It was after two o'clock in the morning. Way past Riley's bed time. And Riley knew, that Ben knew, that if Riley didn't get a good night's sleep, then Riley would be _very_ unhappy later.

He was wallowing in his own self pity so deeply that he didn't hear another car approaching until it was practically on top of him. He turned and immediately paled when he saw that he recognized the shiny catering van. It was a van with the words "Olympus" written in large blue letters on the sides that had he'd chased all over Washington D.C. That was Ian's van and it was coming, right at him, really fast…

"Holy crap!"

Riley reacted in a second, hopping up and into his van with a yelp, barely managing to get out of harm's way as Ian's vehicle stopped an inch away from Riley's van's bumper.

As soon as the disguised catering van came to a screeching halt three figures leapt out, leaving only the driver and front passenger inside. One of the three moved to the driver's seat of Riley's van, while the remaining two pushed their way into the back and slammed the door shut behind them.

"Hello there, Riley. Did Ben finally come to his senses and abandon you?"

Riley gulped. Ian and his most trusted henchman, Shaw, were staring him down. "No, no…I, uh, actually have to bring him some stuff, so I should probably get going…"

He started to get up but was shoved back down by Shaw's strong hand. Ian fished Riley's keys out of his hoodie pocket and passed them to the front. Then the engine started and the whole van pitched forward.

"Hey! Don't you guys have your own getaway car? Now you've gotta steal mine too?"

"Shut up, Riley," Ian barked.

"What? No way! I—"

But Riley's mouth snapped shut as Ian pulled a gun seemingly out of nowhere.

"Well if you're so eager to speak all the time, why don't you tell me what, exactly, our friend Ben has found on the Declaration."

"I, uh... …we found…nothing?" Riley tried sitting up again in an attempt to get out of the way of Ian's pistol, but was shoved onto this back again by Shaw, much harder this time. But Riley didn't like being shoved, or man handled in any form, so he batted at Shaw's large hands and kicked spastically at him, all the while yelling, "Hey! Quit it, man…get off me!"

Shaw did move away, but only so Ian could bash Riley across the cheek with the handle of his gun. Riley's head snapped to the side and he saw stars for a moment. Then suddenly he was being man handled again as his arms were pulled roughly behind him and forced together at his wrists with what he could only assume was his own duct tape. What a waste.

Ian shoved him onto his back again and Riley blinked up at him. He vaguely remembered wearing his glasses but suddenly they were gone and now the right side of his face was stinging painfully where he'd been pistol whipped. "What's your problem, man…" he slurred.

"I'll ask you again," Ian demanded. "What did Ben find on the Declaration?"

"I dunno," Riley muttered. He really wanted to pass out all of a sudden and ignore his aching cheek. Shaw yanked him up by his hair and he was jerked awake.

"Come on, Riley," Ian growled. "I know how much you love to run that mouth of yours, now why don't you tell me what I need to know and you won't get hurt."

Riley's terrified gaze met Ian's and he saw that the British man was serious. Dead serious. He swallowed hard. "Uh, it was just a…a bunch of numbers…some kind of cipher…I don't remember what it was though." He felt bad giving away even this much, but it wasn't enough for Ian to go by, and Riley was telling the truth when he said he didn't remember the numbers or what exactly they were for. He did remember having to go to Philadelphia, but Ian didn't need to know that.

"It was another clue? I thought it was supposed to be the map?"

Riley tried to shrug, but stopped when he realized how badly his shoulders hurt from his arms being pulled behind him. "So…if that was it, you can let me go right? And my van of course."

Ian sighed and shook his head. "No, I think it would be best for everyone if you stayed with us."

Riley blinked. "Um…what?"

"I need some sort of insurance. A bargaining chip if you will. Ben has the Declaration, and all the clues. I am clearly at a disadvantage. But this is where Ben and I differ—he cares too much, and I'm sure he will gladly give up any information he has in return for your safety. Frankly, I don't care what happens to you."

"What?! But…come on, Ian. We-we're buddies, right? You buy me a new computer, I help you and Ben out with treasure stuff. I-I let you beat me at poker. It's a win-win situation that seems to have worked for a while now and I think we should stick with it and—"

"Do you know what your problem is?"

Riley blinked at him, his mind still a little sluggish from the blow to his face. "That I'm so much smarter and better looking than you?" If he had, in fact, been completely conscious of his situation, he most likely would have said something else.

"No," Ian growled, apparently not amused by the comment. "It's your big mouth."

Riley jumped at a loud ripping sound coming from somewhere behind him. Before he could even respond, Shaw had reached around him with the duct tape and pulled a strip taught over his lips and around his head.

"That's better," he said smugly.

Ian nodded and grinned maniacally down at Riley, who glared miserably back up at him.

"Aw, don't look so down, kid. It's a win-win situation, after all. You don't say anything and I don't feel annoyed enough to kill you..."

Ian looked like he might have wanted to gloat some more, but he was suddenly interrupted by the rumble of a vibrating phone. Riley's eyes widened as he felt the small object in his jeans pocket. It must have been Ben, probably wondering what was taking so long. Ben would help him, Riley was sure of it.

Ian nodded to Shaw who patted down Riley's hips to find the phone. Riley shivered as hands snuck down his sides and reached into his pockets. Soon the little vibrating device was found and Shaw tossed it to Ian, who flipped it open.

* * *

"Benjamin Franklin Gates! I can't _believe_ you are doing this. You know, I hope they catch you…maybe then you'll finally learn your lesson!"

Ben rolled his eyes. "Yeah sure dad," he said as he found the book he was looking for nestled between some old history books. He was quick to hide it in his jacket. "Thank you Thomas Payne…"

"What? What did you say?" Patrick twisted himself as much as he could to see his son behind him.

"Nothing, dad." Ben moved to face his father, holding the remote control for the television out to his free hand. "I'm sorry about this, I really am, but it's something I have to do. Just…" he sighed. "Take care, dad."

With that he left the living room where his father was sitting, confined to his chair with a soda in one hand and the television remote in the other. Ben met Abigail in the entrance hall to the home and grinned disarmingly at her. She raised her eyebrows at him, clearly showing her disapproval of his plan.

"And you'd better take damn good care of that Declaration!"

"We will," Ben called back to his father. Abigail just shook her head.

Ben spied an old coat hanging on a hook near the door and fished through the pockets. "Aha," he said triumphantly, a set of car keys out. He held the door open and gentlemanly gestured for Abigail to go first. She did, sending Ben a smile that he hoped was more playful than criticizing.

"And now you're stealing your father's car," she said accusingly as Ben unlocked the doors to Patrick's Cadillac with the click of a button.

"Well we can't very well take Riley's van anymore, I think that would be a _little_ obvious." He paused just before getting into the driver's seat. "Where is he anyway?"

"Are you supposed to pick him up?"

"He was just getting his laptop and whatever else he needed. He's _supposed_ to meet us back at the house. But that was almost fifteen minutes ago."

"You do realize the FBI are on their way. _Right now_."

"Yes, thank you, I do realize we are in a hurry." Ben sighed, slightly annoyed now, though he wasn't sure who he was more annoyed at—Riley for not coming back to the house or Abigail for being as condescending as she was. "Get in. We're going to pick him up."

Ben sped down the few blocks to the lot where they had left the van, constantly checking his rearview mirror for flashing lights or any FBI looking vehicles. He really, _really_ didn't want to get caught now. Not with the stolen Declaration of Independence and a possible hostage. He wondered what Dr. Chase was even thinking of all this. She'd been happily surprised to see that Ben was right about the back of the document, and now it seemed she wanted to be as involved in the treasure hunt as he and Riley were. The more he thought about it, the more he figured that it wasn't exactly a bad thing to have her hanging around.

He circled the lot, drove around the park, checked every shadowed alleyway in the vicinity but saw no sign of Riley's van.

"Damn it, Riley," Ben muttered.

"Do you think he got cold feet?"

Ben shook his head. Abigail didn't know him well enough to think he would just chicken out and disappear like that. Riley was fiercely loyal to Ben and would always be there for him, unless something happened…

Ben didn't think twice. He pulled his phone out and used his speed dial to call Riley's cell. It rang once, twice…with a click it was answered.

"Riley, where are you? Where's the van?" he said quickly before Riley could even get a word out.

"Slow down, Ben," said a very un Riley like voice. Ben paled and Abigail sent him a concerned look. "Riley's right here. We're taking him and his van for a little ride."

"Ian," Ben growled. Abigail gasped, recognizing the name as being the man that had nearly kidnapped her for the Declaration. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Insurance, Ben. You've managed to hold on to the document and seen the back of it, which puts you a few steps ahead in our little game. I just thought I would even out the score a little."

Ben groaned. He couldn't give up the Declaration, or the new clues, but he couldn't leave Riley to get hurt either. And he knew instinctively that Ian and his goons wouldn't hesitate to hurt the young man. They had made their strong dislike for Riley and his antics very clear through the whole treasure hunt.

"So how do you want to do this, Ben? Are you going to help me get the treasure, or should I just shoot your little friend now and get it over with?"

"NO!" Ben shouted. "No, don't…just don't hurt him. Can I talk to him?"

Ian chuckled sadistically on the other line. "No, no I'm afraid that's impossible. I've shut him up, and frankly I like him a lot better when he's not running his mouth. I don't know why we never considered it before—we could have sewn his lips shut and found the treasure a long time ago."

"Ian, don't…"

"I'll tell you what Ben—you tell me what the next clue is and where you're headed, and we'll meet you there."

"No, Ian. No deal. I want to meet you _right_ now. I want to know Riley's okay."

"Sorry Ben, but we're already on the open road. I wouldn't want to be coming back anywhere near your dad's place. Not with the feds on their way. How was it, by the way?"

"What?"

"Seeing your dad. I'm sure he was thrilled to find out what you were doing."

"Yeah…thrilled. Where should we meet you?"

"'We'? Did you bring him with you, or are you still dragging Dr. Chase around?"

"Ben," Abigail whispered, looking frantically out the windows at their ominous surroundings. "We have to go…"

She was right. They'd been sitting there talking for a long few minutes by now. Ben didn't have that kind of time to spare, and he was definitely too frustrated to try to drive while talking to his mutinous financier.

"Ian, we don't have time for this. Where should we meet you?"

"That depends, Ben. Where are you going to solve your little cipher?"

So Riley had been able to tell him that much, but not where they were going. Ben shuddered, thinking of the horrible things they must have done to Riley to even get that much information from him.

"Philadelphia. We need to get to the Franklin Institute to see the Silence Dogood letters."

"Alright, Ben. You solve your little number puzzle, and I'll contact you in Philadelphia. Deal?"

"Like I have a choice?" Ben grumbled.

Ian laughed. "I guess not. See you later."

There was a click as the call was ended.

"What are we doing?" Abigail asked. "Where are we going?"

Ben started the car again and zoomed forward, heading for the highway. He passed her the book he'd taken from his father's house.

"'Common Sense'?"

"My dad usually keeps a few hundred dollars tucked in the pages. We're going to Phily and we need to change out of these clothes. Then we're going to get Riley back."

* * *

Ian flipped the phone shut and slipped it into his pocket. "See, that wasn't too bad. We're one step closer to the treasure." He smiled down at Riley, who glared up at him in response from where he was lying awkwardly on the floor of his own van.

Ian kept his little staring competition going for a minute before turning to the driver. "How much further?"

"Ten minutes, tops," the man called back.

Wow, Riley thought. They were almost there already? Was that even possible?

As if to answer Riley's unspoken question, Ian explained "We need to switch vehicles. I'm afraid we're a little conspicuous like this. But don't you worry…I've planned ahead."

He leant down and patted Riley's cheek with a smile. Riley flinched away and Ian laughed cruelly.

"This is going to be easier than I thought," he said, straightening up to look at Shaw. "By this time tomorrow we'll be rich men."

Shaw grinned back at his boss. Riley rolled his eyes and turned away from them. He had so many snappy come backs right now that he couldn't even say. It was hard enough to even breathe with the tape over his mouth. He had to consciously suck in every breath through his noise and try to ignore the stinging pain his cheek.

But that pain was easily drowned out by the growing ache in his arms and back. Rolling to his side had helped a little, but his shoulders were protesting every little move he made. He couldn't even feel his hands any more.

Stupid duct tape. Stupid Ian and Shaw and other guys. Stupid Riley, for getting into this stupid mess.

Suddenly the van hit a particularly large bump and lurched forward. Riley found himself sliding towards the front of the vehicle, unable to stop himself with his arms secured behind him. The top of his head hit hard on the jumbled mess of mother boards and other technological stuff as the van came to a screeching stop.

Ian threw the back door open as Shaw grabbed Riley by the collar of his hoodie. He was yanked out of the car rather roughly and fell to his knees on the pavement as his head swam. He looked around and blinked stars out of his eyes, only to find that they were in some kind of an underground garage that was completely empty except for a single compact car parked across from the two vans.

Shaw pulled Riley up by his hood and forced him towards the car. Three of Ian's goons had already squeezed into the back seat, leaving Shaw and Ian to take up the front seats. So where was Riley going to sit?

He watched with dread as Ian leaned down into the driver's seat. A second later the trunk popped open with a slight whooshing sound. Riley gulped.

"In you go," Shaw said.

He tightened his grip on Riley's hood and forced him forward. Riley struggled, he really did. He dug his Chuck Taylors into the pavement and twisted his body this way and that to try to get away. He did not want to get in the trunk. He could not stress how badly he did not want to be in that cramped, dark space.

Shaw, growing impatient with Riley's lame struggling, kicked out the back of the young man's legs. Riley let out a muffled groan and would have collapsed to his knees again if not for Shaw's iron grip on his sweatshirt. With his other hand, Shaw grasped the back of Riley's belt and hoisted him up and off the ground.

Riley was still struggled like mad, trying to ignore the pounding in his head and the nausea that was rising in his stomach. But it was no use as Shaw plopped Riley callously into the trunk and ignored the younger man's muffled protests as he slammed the door shut, leaving Riley trapped in the darkness.


	2. On With The Filler Stuff

**Chapter II: On With The Filler Stuff**

The car hit a particularly large bump and Riley was jostled around in the trunk, his head colliding with the roof of the small space once again. The first time it had successfully knocked him out and this second bump must have been what woke him up.

Riley swallowed hard in an attempt to fight the nausea that had been rising in his stomach. He'd been unconscious for a long time now—he could tell by how ridiculously sore and stiff his body was. It was the kind of feeling he got after sleeping in a weird position for too long. And this was definitely a weird position, lying on his side with his wrists stuck behind him.

He groaned miserably as the car lurched forward. Riley didn't know how much more of this he could take. He was being tossed around like a…like a thing that gets tossed around a lot in a trunk. He knew there was something very wrong when his fuzzy mind couldn't even think of a witty analogy to his current situation.

But that's all he could do. Think, sleep, hopefully keep breathing… There was no way he could get out of there, not while he was tied up and locked in the tight, dark space. So he was pretty much screwed until Ben could save him. He really hoped that would be sooner rather than later.

"So…we show up at your father's door in the middle of the night and the first thing he assumes is I'm pregnant?"

Abigail was trying to disband the uncomfortable silence that had come between the couple. They'd picked out some decent looking clothes in a local Urban Outfitters and were now changing. Ben had been painfully quiet most of the drive to Philadelphia, only briefly explaining his treasure hunt up to their current position. She noticed that his story pointedly avoided any details about Riley, and it was evident the treasure protector was worried about his young…friend? Partner? Brother?

It had dawned on her sometime in the early morning hours that she knew nothing about Ben Gate's little sidekick. Riley, not Bill, she reminded herself as she recalled with some amusement the awkward way he had initially introduced himself. She had concluded—after the encounter with Ben's father—that the young man was not in fact Ben's brother as she initially thought. The two looked alike enough after all. Okay maybe not really, other than the dark hair and the bright, blue eyes.

Her other conclusion was that the two were not partners, not in _that_ sense. At least not by the way Ben had been gentlemanly flirting with her since he strolled into her office at the Archives. Even though some of it was an act to hide his true identity, there's no way he was that good of an actor.

So, rather than using the car ride to sleep while Ben drove, his hard glare directed only to the road before him, she decided she should know a little more about the young man they were hoping to save from the clutches of a mutinous madman.

"Ben," she started slowly. "I feel like I know a lot about you and your family, but how did Riley get caught up in all this? It is Riley, right, not Bill?"

At this Ben actually smirked slightly, recalling the same awkward introduction she was thinking of. "Yeah, it's Riley. I have no idea where he came up with Bill."

Abigail let out a tense breath and mirrored his smile. She honestly hadn't expected to get this kind of a reaction from him—maybe a gruff, "none of your business" or something like that.

"I roped Riley in the same way I did with anyone. I told him my treasure story. He was interested, so I invited him along."

"Really? And he just up and left…whatever to help you?"

"Actually I came to him for his computer skills. He'd been working a 9 to 5 job in a cubicle writing programs for some software company. He was more than happy to hear me out."

Abigail blinked. "Wow. I should think most _normal_ people wouldn't be so willing to ask random strangers to join them on their treasure hunts and hope they're interested."

Ben shook his head. "No, no he wasn't a stranger. I've known Riley for a while…about five years now."

Abigail smiled. He was really opening up to her now. "This sounds like an exciting story in and of itself."

He shrugged, never taking his eyes off the road. "Not really. I was going to MIT after I discovered that treasure hunting was really done through technology nowadays. Riley was a freshman there when I met him. I'm not exactly sure how it happened.

"He wasn't the kind of kid that hung with a big social group or anything. Actually he was kind of…solitary and, believe it or not, quiet in class when I saw him. Then one day I must have said something in passing after a lecture, I don't even remember what, and he just started talking. I mean, nonstop. It was like the kid had bottled up all of these little comments and silly stories but had never had an opportunity to spit them out. I think he was just having a hard time adjusting to college life. His roommate was a jerk, and I had to help him out a few times when he got into hot water over something.

"I don't know—we just became friends naturally. And after I told him about the treasure…I mean he was in, no problem. I swear the kid will follow me around blindly wherever I go. He'd probably jump off a cliff, if I asked him nicely."

Abigail saw Ben's smile fade and a sad look crossed his face. It was obvious he missed his friend and was extremely worried about whatever was happening to him while he was in Ian's clutches. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and he made eye contact with her for a split second before turning back to the road before him.

"He'll be okay, Ben."

"I hope you're right." He sighed deeply. "And thank you, by the way, for sticking around. Even after everything that's happened."

She smiled slightly, pleasantly surprised again by his words. "Sure."

There was nothing left to say after that, and the pair sat in a semi comfortable silence the rest of the way to Philly. The bright sun and the bustling city streets seemed to have sobered Ben a little from his funk, and Abigail was extremely grateful he responded to her again when she attempted playful conversation in the fitting rooms of Urban Outfitters.

He peeked around the door to look her in the eye. She was glad to see the flirtatious smile she had seen on him when they met had returned, full force.

"Have you ever told someone, not a family member, I love you?"

* * *

He was jerked awake as sudden light filled the darkness. He kept his eyes closed, squeezed tight against the harsh brightness. Then, out of nowhere, someone was patting at his cheek. He instinctively flinched away from the surprising touch, though he wasn't even sure if it was in fact hurting him. It could have been Ben, come to save him at last…

"Wake up, Riley. We're not going to carry you."

Not Ben…that was Ian's voice. His harsh, evil sounding voice somehow underlined with…amusement? Apparently he found the whole situation to be quite funny. Riley still refused to open his eyes, until the light pat became a rough slap to his already stinging cheek. He moaned and forced his eyelids open, only to stare up at two people he disliked very much at the moment. Ian Howe and a man known only as Shaw were glaring down at him, silhouetted by sunlight. They looked very ominous like that, even more so with the manic grins on their faces. Riley wished he'd kept his eyes shut.

He was forced out of the trunk by two hands grasping the front of his hoodie. If he kept getting pulled around like this, he was going to find himself investing in a new sweatshirt when he got out of this situation. _If_ he got out of this situation.

Riley was stood up on his unstable legs with Shaw's constant grasp on him the only thing keeping him standing. His entire body felt stiff and sore, but at least he could now breathe some fresh air into his lungs. Even if it was only through his nose, it was better than nothing.

Once he'd gained his bearings and blinked the fuzziness out of his eyes, Riley took a good look around. They were in another parking garage, or some sort of closed off empty space that resembled a parking garage with very high windows. Maybe it was a warehouse? Or something like that. All Riley knew was that it was empty, save for two black SUVs with Pennsylvania plates and windows that were tinted as black as the paint job.

"…come on, move it!"

Apparently they'd been yelling at him but he'd tuned it out, more concerned about what was going to happen to him than whatever the hell they were talking about. Now they wanted him to move. Sure. He was pushed forward from behind and would have fallen on his face if Shaw hadn't yanked him back up by his hood.

He was practically dragged towards one of the cars, where the rest of Ian's lackeys were staring at him with stupid grins on their faces. He sent them the best "what are you assholes staring at?" look he could muster with his eyes, but they apparently, like Ian and Shaw, found this whole situation to be extremely amusing. Riley wished he got what was so funny, but as far as he was concerned, he was the punch line in their sadistic little joke.

The trunk to one of the SUVs was opened as they approached. Thankfully this trunk was significantly larger than the one Riley had just spent his morning in. It wasn't completely closed off either—it was designed so that a backseat passenger could easily reach back into the trunk space.

Riley didn't even have the energy to struggle as he was forced inside. At least here he could sit up. No one even talked to him. Ian was barking orders about going to the Franklin Institute. Then he said something about time, and Riley found out it was ten to noon. Wow, he'd been in the other trunk longer than he'd thought. He was probably lucky he hadn't suffocated.

They slammed the door to the back of the SUV shut and moved their separate ways. Riley blinked slowly. The fact that he was now able to breathe real oxygen instead of stuffy trunk air was definitely helping to clear his head and he began to wonder what exactly was going on. They were in Philadelphia, right? Ben must have been in the city too, and they were going to make a deal and Riley would be saved.

Suddenly Riley's heart sank as a new thought popped into his head. What if Ben chose the treasure over Riley? He had, after all, been looking for the hidden Templar treasure long before he'd even met Riley. Then he'd definitely be screwed. Ian and his guys hated Riley, and he could only imagine all the horrible things they were planning to do with him if Ben didn't give in to their demands.

Riley shuddered and felt the car start moving. It took off rather quickly, and Riley was slammed sideways against the door of the trunk. He could hear Ian and at least one of his guys talking about something but Riley tuned them out. He was busy staring blankly out the window above him at the bright sky as Philladelphia buildings rushed past.

If there was even a chance that Ben wasn't going to help him, Riley would have to get out of this situation by himself. _How_, he had no idea. His arms were thoroughly numb and his head was pounding. He felt helpless and really, really stupid for even getting into this mess. All he could do now was squirm in the tight space he was sitting, trying in vain to get more comfortable while his mind wandered in circles around some scenarios he hoped for and others he hoped were nothing more than the scary wanderings of his tired mind.

* * *

"…Pass and Stow. Ben, those are the last words! We need to get to Independence Hall, where the Liberty Bell was."

Ben nodded. He too understood the clue and was very relieved it hadn't been anything more complicated than that. They were already in Philadelphia, and now only a few blocks from their destination.

Abigail hesitated for a moment, watching Ben think, before asking the question that was on both of their minds. "What should we do?"

Ben looked grim. "We go to Independence Hall and find the next clue."

"But…what about Ian?"

"He hasn't tried to call us yet…and we are still in Philly after all. I don't think it would hurt if we kept looking for the next clue."

"And Riley?"

"Ian won't do anything to him—yet. He needs information _we_ have, and he knows Riley's the only reason we would give it to him." Then, almost as an afterthought, "he's probably keeping tabs on us already anyway. I wouldn't put it past him."

Abigail raised her eyebrows. She was clearly skeptical, but the almost fierce determination in Ben's eyes kept her from voicing her opinion. "Alright, then. To Independence Hall."

* * *

"Where do ya suppose they're off to now?"

"Couldn't say," Ian mumbled, his fierce gaze never leaving the couple as they left the Franklin Institute, nearly a block away from where he sat in his parked SUV.

"Are we goin' after 'em?"

"Yes. But keep your distance. Call Powell, tell him they're coming his way. I don't know what Ben thinks he's doing, but I'm going to find out."

_Ben?!_

At the sound of his friend's name Riley jerked to attention. He hadn't really been listening to anything that they were saying. He was more focused on his own woes. But as it turns out, they'd been parked outside of the Franklin Institute for quite a while, and now Ian had spotted Ben. Thank God—he was saved at last.

Riley craned his neck as much as he could and poked his head up over the back of the backseat, hoping to catch a glimpse of his friend out the front windshield. He'd barely straightened up, though, when a large hand pushed him back down, pressing roughly against the bump he'd already sustained on the top of his head.

"You keep your head down, pipsqueak."

Riley winced at the sting on his head as well as the harshness of Shaw's gruff voice. He shrank back down in the trunk space, his verbal frustrations muffled inaudibly.

"What was that?"

_Don't call me a pipsqueak, you big jackass._

"That's what I thought."

Riley flinched as Shaw ruffled his hair and chuckled.

Then the vehicle lurched forward and Riley found himself tipping over against the door again. He was tired of being tossed around like this. He was angry, and frustrated, and more than a little car sick. But Ben was around here somewhere. Ben would have to save him, and the bad guys would get what was coming to them, and he would live happily ever after, treasure or no treasure, he didn't even care anymore.

* * *

"_Phew_…"

"What?"

"Can you believe the last time this was here…it was being signed?"

Abigail smirked playfully at him. "Ben…"

"Right, okay…" He put the glasses on his nose and fiddled with the different colored lenses for a moment. "Wow…this is really something."

He passed the glasses to Abigail so she could see what he saw. "Heere at the Wall…"

"Oh no," Ben suddenly mumbled as something caught his eye out the window. He dashed to it, looking out at a man he really didn't want to see right now. "Ian was following us. Why hasn't he called?"

"He's waiting for you to do all the dirty work," Abigail answered grimly. "I'm sure he had no intention of letting Riley go until he was sure we could get the treasure for him."

Ben nodded in dismal agreement. Though he'd been pushing the thought to the back of his mind, he knew she was absolutely right. If they didn't find the treasure soon… Well, he didn't think Riley would want Ben to be wasting his time worrying.

"We're going to hang on to this stuff as long as possible. If Ian doesn't have the clues, then he still needs us, which means he still needs Riley. But we've got to split up—as much as we don't want him to have the Declaration or the glasses we definitely don't want him to get a hold of both of them. You take the Declaration, I've got the glasses, and I'll meet you back at the car. Okay?"

"Okay," Abigail said breathlessly.

"Take care of her."

"I will."

* * *

Abigail stared in horror from where she lay, sprawled across the sidewalk while the notorious Ian Howe scooped up the canister she had dropped in her haste to escape his goons. He twisted it open, examining the document with a triumphant grin on his face. His cold gaze turned to her and his smile more than anything else frightened her to her feet. She heard steady falling footsteps behind and realized she was still being chased. After taking one last regretful look at the Declaration of Independence, she leapt to her feet and ran in the other direction. As long as Ben still had the glasses, Ian was still nowhere near finding the treasure. She sprinted fast as her petite legs could take her and was glad to hear that the men chasing her had backed off. But she didn't stop running. She had to get to Ben…had to find him before someone else did…

* * *

_First off—just wanna say kudos to save changes to normal's "Closed Break," who I've sort of utilized a bit here. Because having Ben and Riley meet in MIT is just such a perfect, totally believable back story that I don't even bother to think up new ones anymore :)_

_Secondly—I could not have asked for a better response for this. I'm glad you guys are excited that these stories are coming back, and I'm very happy to hear from new readers as well. So a million thank yous to all you extremely awesome people :)_


	3. Ending Shot To The Crotch

**Chapter III: Ending Shot To The Crotch**

Ben raced around a corner and stopped short, pressing his back against a brick wall as he caught his breath. He didn't think he was being followed anymore, at least not now that he had given up the fact that his canister was a decoy. The moment Ian's henchmen realized this meant that Abigail was in more danger than before. He had to find her, find her and hold onto the glasses before Ian realized he needed them…

His phone buzzed in his pocket. It was Abigail. He sighed with relief. She was okay, and probably already at the car waiting for him.

"Yeah?" he answered between panting breaths.

"Ben! I lost it," she yelled before he'd even finished his brief greeting. "I lost the Declaration. Ben…I'm _so_ sorry, Ben."

Ben had to pull the phone away from him for a minute so she wouldn't hear his disappointed groan. "What about you? Are you okay?"

"Yes, but Ben…Ian's got the Declaration. He's—"

"It's…it'll be okay. I still have the glasses. Ian won't be able to find anything without them."

"I'm so sorry, Ben," she whimpered.

"Really, it's alright," he said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. "We…we'll work something out. I'll meet you by the car, okay?"

She hesitated for a long moment before finally responding with, "okay." Then she hung up.

Ben groaned again. Sure Ian didn't have the glasses, but he had the Declaration, which was all he thought he needed. If he was convinced he didn't need Ben's help anymore then God knows where that left Riley. All Ben could do now was get back to Abigail so they could contact Ian before the British man did anything drastic.

Ben spun on his heel and started heading down a thankfully quiet back road, ducking in and out of dark alleyways to remain out of sight. He dashed down a particularly empty alley into a small and dumpster ridden parking lot squished between two old buildings. He had to stop short and catch his breath again to believe what he was seeing barely ten feet away—Ian Howe was strolling toward a black SUV that was parked in the nearly vacant lot, talking very quickly into his cell phone. Ben ducked behind a dumpster and listened intently to Ian's conversation

"…No, I've got the document…we're done here. I need you to head back to the other car. Powell is already on his way. Meet me back at the rendezvous point… Yes…yes…don't worry about that. I will see you there."

Ian snapped his phone shut and placed it gingerly in his pocket. He grasped the Declaration tightly in his fist and gazed down at his prize with a wide, triumphant grin. Ben watched as Ian approached the back of the dark SUV while his free hand slipped into his jacket. There was a glint of metal now in Ian's hand as he fumbled with the door of the trunk, setting the canister to lean against the side of the SUV as he did so.

Ben's breath caught in his throat when he saw the gun. He practically stopped breathing altogether when it dawned on him what Ian was doing. With the Declaration in his grasp, Ian didn't think he needed anything else and he was free of his dependence on Ben. Now all he needed to do was tie up some loose ends.

Ben's fears were confirmed as Ian threw open the trunk and pointed the gun inside where a small figure sat curled up with his knees to his chest in the tight space. Ben could see Riley's pale face from where he stood and his blood boiled with anger. The kid was bound and gagged with duct tape, and Ben could clearly see the vivid shiner on his cheek as well as the terror in his barely focused eyes when he looked up at the gun that was suddenly pointed at him.

"Looks like there's one less piece of baggage I'll have to worry about," Ian said menacingly as he pressed the silencer of his pistol against Riley's forehead. Riley tried to turn away, but all he could do in the small trunk was curl further in on himself and shiver while muffled whimpers escaped his taped lips.

Ben didn't think. He didn't even breathe. He stepped out of the shadows and took quick strides towards Ian just as the British man started to squeeze the trigger.

"Stop, Ian, don't do this."

Ian, who had been initially surprised by Ben's appearance, grinned menacingly at his once business partner, never relenting his weapon from Riley's head. "And why not, Ben? I'd be doing us all a favor by blowing little Riley's brains out."

Ben briefly made eye contact with his young friend. Riley's wide, terrified blue eyes convinced Ben what he had to do. Screw the treasure. "Because, Ian. I have another clue that you need."

"Oh really, Ben? _Another_ clue?"

He fished the glasses out of his pocket and held them up for Ian to see. "You need these to see the back of the Declaration. Without them, you won't be able to find the treasure."

"I'm surprised at you, Ben," Ian said, putting all his attention on Ben as he slowly eased his gun away from Riley. "You would give up the treasure you've been searching for all of your life to save…_this_?"

Ben didn't know how to respond, but thankfully he didn't need to. As soon as the gun was away from his head and Ian was focused on Ben, Riley spastically kicked out one of his stiff legs. His Chuck Taylor made contact with Ian's groin and Ian doubled over with a gasp.

Ben used the opportunity to rush at the villain, wrench the gun out of his hands, and send a punch to the side of his head. The blow wasn't very powerful but it was enough to send Ian hard to the side where his temple bashed into the bumper of his SUV. His eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped down face first onto the pavement at Ben's feet.

Neither Ben nor Riley moved for almost a full minute as they stared down at the limp form before them in awe over what they'd collectively done. They looked up at the same time and stared at each other for another moment. Then Riley made a muffled sound that could have translated to "hey, Ben."

Ben was in front of his friend in an instant, reaching around to the back of his head to pull off the tape. Riley squeezed his eyes shut and made little pained noises as Ben tore the stuff slowly off his cheek. Once his lips were free, Riley's muffled whimpers turned into a steady "owie, owie, owie" until the strip was pulled completely off his other cheek and around his head.

Riley spent the next few moments moving around his stiff jaw and wincing at the pain in his stinging skin. Ben kept a protective hand on his friend's shoulder while he looked Riley over. He was ghostly pale and drenched in cold sweat as he took deep, chest heaving breaths. Ben briefly examined the bruise on Riley's cheek and noticed a bit of dried blood along his hair line. He moved to brush back Riley's bangs to see the wound, only to have Riley flinch away.

"Ahh…ow, Ben just…ow. No…touchie." He said this breathlessly, never opening his squeezed shut eyes.

Ben actually smirked at his friend and pulled his hand away. It didn't look like a lot of blood—there probably wasn't much more than a scratch on his head. Besides, as long as Riley was conscious and whiny like his usual self, the head injury he sustained couldn't be that bad.

He eased Riley forward a little so the young man was sitting on the edge of the trunk with his feet dangling over Ian's body. Now Ben could reach down to where Riley's wrists were tightly bound with duct tape. He picked at it, looking for an end to pull off, while Riley hissed at him.

"Geez, Ben," he gasped. "You're hands are cold."

"No, actually it's your hands that are cold," Ben mumbled with a frown. Riley's hands, or at least what could be seen around the tape, were chalk white and freezing. Ben wasn't sure if he should be worried or not. He pulled his pocket knife out and carefully slipped it between Riley's wrists to cut off the sticky substance.

"Ahh," Riley moaned as his stiff arms were freed. A pained tingling ran up and down his limbs as he moved his hands to his lap where he clumsily rubbed his palms together, hoping to get some feeling back in his finger tips. He cleared his throat and coughed. "Ah, that's…much better. Thanks Ben."

Ben kept his steady grip on Riley's shoulder, fearing that the young man was going to fall out of the trunk. "You okay?"

"Oh yeah…I'm good…fine…I'm fine…" he mumbled, his voice a little hoarse as he looked down at where Ian was lying beneath his feet.

"That was a pretty good move you used back there."

Riley smirked. "I actually had…no intention of…kicking him in the crotch."

"Oh no?"

He shook his head while a grin grew on his pale face and he cleared his scratchy throat again. "No it was gonna be…so cool. I was aiming for the gun…and you were gonna catch it…and shoot Ian in the…kneecaps or something." Riley stopped to catch his breath while he grinned up at Ben.

Ben clapped his young friend on the back. "Yeah that would have been pretty cool, too."

Riley nodded. "Yeah."

The pair was silent for a minute and Ben feared that Riley was going to pass out where he sat.

"Riley, buddy…you sure you're okay?"

He nodded again. "I'm good…totally fine…" Riley said, coughing lightly. "Yeah. What about you? Did you…find the treasure?"

Ben smiled at the bright eagerness that shone in Riley's eyes. He knew that feeling all too well. The excitement of finding treasure did that to most people. "Almost. We got the next clue."

Riley's smile faltered. "Oh boy, more clues," he muttered with false enthusiasm.

"It said 'Heere at the Wall.'"

"Okay…"

"We need to go to New York," Ben said simply, seeing that Riley's eyes were glazing over and he was definitely not ready for any kind of detailed explanation.

"Sounds good, but I'd…kind of like to get something…to drink first…and food. I'm like starving…haven't eaten since we were at your dad's house."

"Sure," Ben chuckled. "Whatever you need."

Riley nodded, then seemed a little hesitant about something. "But, uh, Ben…what about him?"

Ben followed Riley's gaze down to where Ian was still out cold. "I'm not sure. I should probably call Abigail, she's waiting by my car…"

Riley groaned.

"What?"

"I knew you liked her. And now…treasure hunting is just an excuse to…get some hot girl's number."

Ben laughed at that. "That's exactly what I was going for."

"I knew it. Girls never…see me doing cool stuff like…kicking Ian in the crotch."

"Someday, Riley. Someday."

Riley sighed and laid his head against the side of the trunk, the smile never leaving his lips even as his eyelids fell shut.

Ben fished his cell phone back out of his pocket and called Abigail.

"Abigail," he exclaimed before she could even finish her 'hello.' "It's okay! I found Ian, the Declaration's safe and Riley's here, too. He's okay!"

"Th-that's great, Ben," she said grimly.

Ben frowned. "What is it? What happened? Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine, it's just…" she sighed heavily. "Ben, the FBI agents were waiting by your car when I got there."

Ben paled. "Oh no…"

"I told them you didn't have the Declaration and that Ian took it."

"Okay," Ben said taking a deep breath. He thought hard. "Listen—I'm going to tell you where I am, come with the FBI guys and we'll have this whole thing sorted out."

"Really?"

"Really."

* * *

Ben rattled off some address and told them he was in an alleyway parking lot. One of the agents scrawled the information down as he heard it coming out of her cell phone and radioed the other patrol car that had been with them to meet them there. Abigail sighed and gave the phone back to the FBI agent in charge, a man by the name of Peter Sadusky who was sitting next to her in the back seat.

"You heard the man," he called to the driver. "Let's turn back and see what Mr. Gates has to say."

Abigail couldn't help but be as curious as Sadusky over what Ben was going to tell them.

"So Ben saved the Declaration from this Ian fellow, who was stealing it in the first place?"

Abigail nodded.

"You work with the Archives, correct?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Hmm," he muttered thoughtfully as he looked out the window. "If I were in your position, I don't think I'd be so eager to help the man that stole the Declaration of Independence, even if it was to protect it."

"Well, he was right, wasn't he? Everything he said has been true."

He gave her a sideways glance. "We'll see about that."

In minutes the car had pulled into the alley where Ben said he would be. Sadusky emerged from the car, gun at his side as a precaution. Abigail followed and couldn't help but gasp at the scene before her.

Ben stood with a smug grin on his face as he watched the FBI agents form a perimeter around him and the dark SUV he was standing next to. The trunk of the vehicle was open and Abigail let out a relieved sigh when she saw Riley sitting inside with a look that mirrored Ben's even through the bruises and red marks that marred his pale face. She gasped again in disbelief when she saw that Ian Howe, criminal mastermind, was slumped face down and apparently unconscious on the ground at Ben's feet.

She made eye contact with Ben and couldn't help but smile when he winked at her.

"Mr. Gates," Sadusky said as he looked over the scene before him. "I trust there's an interesting story behind this?"

"Ask for the abridged version…or we'll be here all night," Riley rasped.

Sadusky raised an eyebrow. "And who might you be?"

Abigail frowned. She hadn't had time to tell the FBI agent the entire treasure hunting story and hadn't even thought of telling them about Riley being kidnapped.

Riley, though, appeared unfazed by this. In fact he looked like he was barely conscious—he was hunched over slightly, leaning heavily against the side of the trunk and he was terribly pale. He grinned weakly and held out his pasty hand to the agent. "Riley Poole. Computer prodigy, treasure hunter, and hostage extraordinaire." He nodded his head up to where Ben stood protectively over him. "I work with him."

Abigail cringed when she saw the same bright red mark that striped Riley's face was encircling the young man's wrists. Sadusky noticed this too and politely declined the handshake. Riley's hand fell heavily back to his lap.

"And the story just got even more interesting," Sadusky muttered, his voice light with amusement. He turned to an officer behind him. "Call the paramedics. I believe Mr. Poole may be in need of some medical assistance."

"Naw," Riley slurred, clearing his throat and wincing as he did so. "I'm okay."

"Well if you don't need it I'm sure he will," Sadusky said, nodding to Ian's unconscious form. "I take it this is the infamous Ian Howe?"

Ben nodded.

"Very interesting." He actually smiled at Abigail. "I knew I would like this case."

* * *

"That is quite a story, Mr. Gates."

"And it's all true. So far everything, every little clue, has been right."

"You really believe the treasure is in New York City?" Sadusky said, though he didn't look too convinced.

Ben nodded. "I'm sure of it."

They stared at each other in a moment of tense silence before the FBI agent sighed and leaned back in his seat. "We still need to interview this Ian person, but as far as I know he's still unconscious." Ben grinned triumphantly. "Then we'll decide exactly what to do with you. You are still being charged with stealing the Declaration. That alone will get you a good long sentence."

Ben paled, his grin fading as quickly as it had appeared. "I really, _really_ don't want to go to prison."

Sadusky smiled. "So you've said at least three times."

"I've counted five," Abigail said. She'd managed to stay quiet for the most part during the lengthy explanation, but there were some parts that she just had to interject and correct something or further embellish Ben's story.

"Mr. Howe will indefinitely be charged with most of the criminal activities. Even until he's conscious and we can hear him out, he's being charged with the kidnapping and attempted murder of your friend there." Sadusky nodded to Riley, who was sitting next to Ben with his head resting on the treasure hunter's shoulder and a slight trail of drool falling from the corner of his slack mouth.

"I'm sure Riley'll be glad to hear that when he wakes up," Ben said with a smile directed at his sleeping friend.

It hadn't taken long for Riley to finally fall pass out. After refusing to go to a hospital and letting the paramedics only check him out at the scene, Riley begged to accompany Ben and Abigail to the police station where Agent Sadusky would be hearing their stories. He was fed on the way, which made the young man extremely happy and ceased his raspy talking for a little bit. It seemed that even a dry, sore throat couldn't keep Riley from voicing every little sarcastic remark that popped into his head.

Though Ben was worried about his friend, Riley shrugged him off, saying he was perfectly fine whenever he caught Ben looking at him. But once they'd made it to FBI headquarters and Ben had begun his story, weariness finally caught up with the younger man. There were a couple of times when he started to nod off and it looked like he was going to fall right out of his seat. Ben heard no complaints when he pulled Riley's chair closer to his and let the sleepy head drop against his shoulder as he continued his story nonchalantly.

"I still can't ignore the fact that you stole the Declaration in the first place."

Ben's face hardened as he said very seriously to the FBI agent, "will you accept a bribe? Say…ten billion dollars?"

Sadusky raised an eyebrow, apparently very amused by the idea. "I'll believe that when I see it, Mr. Gates…"

* * *

"…I honestly can't believe what I'm seeing, Mr. Gates," Peter Sadusky muttered, as he stared in awe at the scene before him.

"Me either," Riley said, his wide blue eyes shining in the glowing firelight.

Ben couldn't say anything. He held tight to Abigail's hand, feeling somewhat grounded by her close presence. This was real. Everything he'd hoped for, and then some…it was all real…

Agent Sadusky had actually indulged in Ben's request to go to New York City and just a day after the encounter in Philadelphia, Ben, Riley, Abigail, Sadusky, and a handful of FBI agents and professional spelunkers found themselves five stories beneath the Trinity Church standing in a vast room of historical treasures.

"Look Ben," Abigail gasped as she leaned down to one shelf in particular. "Scrolls from the library at Alexandria…"

She wasn't the only to find something that interested her. Riley had become very attracted to one particular Egyptian statue of a large, jade figure. When Ben looked over to his young friend, he couldn't help but grin as Riley wrapped his arms around the statue with a contented smile on his face.

It was actually because of Riley that it had taken another whole day to get to the treasure. With the FBI's help, they could have taken a helicopter and been in New York before nightfall. But Riley was still exhausted from his kidnapping and was feeling a little more under the weather than he had initially let on. He definitely wasn't up for an extensive treasure hunt, and Ben couldn't just leave him behind, not after everything he'd done to help find the Templar treasure.

So, per Ben's request, Sadusky got them a place to stay for the night, under FBI supervision of course. He was still a little wary of Ben and wasn't going to give the treasure hunter even a chance to get away. Ian Howe had confirmed Ben's story after he'd awoken from his minor concussion. He was charged and taken into custody, but that still didn't mean that Ben was completely innocent.

"Does this mean you accept my bribe?" Ben said to the FBI agent with a content grin on his face.

"You know," Sadusky said as he ran his hand absentmindedly over an ancient looking medallion. "The Templers and the Masons believed that the treasure was too great for just one man, not even a king." He brushed away the dirt, revealing the pyramid and all seeing eye motif carved into it. Ben also noticed for the first time the unique ring Sadusky wore on his right hand. "That's why they went to such lengths to keep it hidden."

"That's right…the treasure belongs to the world, and everybody in it."

Sadusky nodded and turned to Ben with a smile. "And what do _you_ want, Mr. Gates?"

"Well…I want Dr. Chase's records to be wiped clean after this, and I want the find to be credited to the entire Gates family, with the help of Mr. Riley Poole, of course…and I really, _really_ don't want to go to prison."

"I suppose," Sadusky said as he set the medallion he'd been staring at back where he'd found it. "Someone is already going to jail…I think your achievements for this country outweigh the laws you've broken, so I'm sure we can let you off this one time."

Ben nearly melted with relief. "Thank you Sadusky," he said breathlessly as he resisted the urge to hug the man right there and then. "Thank you _so_ much."

Abigail and Riley were approaching the pair with wide smiles on their faces after what they'd over heard.

"Ben," Riley teased. "Are you _crying_?"

Ben wiped his hand across his eyes and realized that they had gotten very watery. "I don't have to go to prison," he said with an emotional smile. "I don't have to go to prison!"

Abigail rolled her eyes but smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "That's great, Ben," she said with a kiss to his cheek. He responded by pulling her into his arms and kissing her passionately.

Riley made an exaggerated retching sound from somewhere behind them. Sadusky raised an eyebrow at the young man and Riley figured, while he had the FBI agent's attention, he might as well ask the question that had been on his mind since they'd found the treasure.

"So," he said. "Riley needs a new car…how much exactly will we be getting for a finder's fee?"

END.

* * *

_…of version 1! There are four more coming, all of which begin with the same first chapter as this one, so stay tuned!_

_And thank you all so very very very much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and being overall awesome :)_


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